Ma-Ri-Oh!
by xXIBtwistV2Xx
Summary: The Mario Bros. and their friends have become Duelists, and must now help to protect their world from their rivals, and the ancient, malevolent evils that the Mushroom Kingdom has suppressed for so long. From tournaments of skill, to battles between good and evil, they must use their precious cards and bonds of companionship to beat the odds at all costs.
1. Training Day - Part 1

**Ma-Ri-Oh!**

_By: IBTwistV2_

_A Super Mario fanfiction/parody of Yu-Gi-Oh…_

_A/N: To get the maximum amount of enjoyment from this story, you should know at least the basics of how to play Yu-Gi-Oh…_

_Monster statistics will be shown as: {Category- ATTRIBUTE/Type/Level/Attack Points/Defense Points}_

**Chapter 1: Training Day- Part 1**

Mario and Luigi walked down the path that led to Princess Peach's Castle. They were almost there when luigi broke the silence. "Hey Mario, how do you think the tournament will be? Fun? Challenging? Scary even?" Luigi said with a nervous hint in his voice. "It will definitely be challenging," replied Mario. "Fun, yes. But scary- no," he finished. "Oh thank heavens!" sighed Luigi. "How could the tournament be scary Luigi?" asked Mario. "I might have to fight a ghost, or the location could be built above a burial site, or it could be infested with ghosts, or I might have to meet new people!" Luigi said. "Oh boy!" Mario said as he face palmed himself.

They reached the castle grounds and found Peach, Daisy, and Yoshi waiting there for them. "Hey guys! What took ya so long?" asked Yoshi. "Many things Yoshi, many things," replied Luigi. "Alright, so have you guys practiced the game long enough?" asked Peach. Everyone nodded in return. "Alrighty then!" she said happily. She opened a treasure chest and pulled out 4 blue, red, and gray devices. "What are those for?" asked Daisy. "Well, these things are called Duel Disks. You place your deck into them, and your life points automatically set to 4000. You place your monster cards on these top slots here, your spell and trap cards here, and a field spell here," she explained. "Your Graveyard slot is right here, and your removed from play zone is right here. You guys get all of that?" she concluded. Everyone looked at her with a look of confusion. "Uh, maybe not all of it," said Yoshi. "Okay, I'll explain again," she said. Everyone then did an anime fall on the ground.

Soon everyone was inside the castle. "Okay, since the plane for the big tournament at Isle Delfino leaves in 2 days, we have to practice as hard as we can so we can be in tip top shape for it!" said Peach. "So who goes against who?" asked Mario. "Well, we'll use randomization of course," replied Peach. At her words, a lottery ball machine magically appeared. "So, I am #1, Luigi is #2, Yoshi is #3, and Mario is #4," she explained. The balls in the machine started to whirl around. "Since there are only 5 of us, one will have to sit out for the first match, who would like to volunteer?" asked Peach. Luigi quietly raised his hand. "Okay so it would be Luigi!" said Peach. The machine started to slow down, and four balls popped out. The balls in the first tray read #3 and #4. The ones in the second tray read #1 and #2. "Alright then, it's settled! The first match will be between Mario and Yoshi! The second will be between me and Luigi!" said Peach. Everyone got their decks together and headed outside.

Mario and Yoshi strapped on their Duel Disks, and launched the holographic projectors. The duel was going to take place in the front of the castle. "Good Luck, and may the best man win," said Mario. They shook their hands, and Yoshi replied, "Give me your best!" They took up their positions and started the duel. "Duel!" they both said.

**[Mario: 4000/Yoshi: 4000]**

_**Mario**_

Mario drew his hand and his sixth card. "Okay! To start off, I guess I'll summon Bob-omb {Effect- FIRE/Pyro/LV: 2/ATK: 600/DEF: 800} in attack mode!"

"I'll say that thing is pretty puny!" said Yoshi.

"Don't worry Yoshi, it's anything but."

"Whaddya mean?"

"I mean, his special effect!"

"Oh No!"

"By discarding two cards in my hand, he can attack you directly, even if it is the first turn!"

The Bob-omb leaped into the air and landed on Yoshi's side of the field, and lit its fuse.

"Oh boy, this is gonna hurt," said Yoshi.

KA-BOOM! The Bob-omb exploded, dealing 600 points of damage to Yoshi's life points. (Yoshi: - 600)

"Aw, dang it!" cursed Yoshi.

"I'll end my turn with one card face down!" concluded Mario.

**[Mario: 4000/Yoshi: 3400]**

_**Yoshi**_

Yoshi drew a card. "I'll get ya back for that, Mario! First, I'll summon Bramball {Normal- EARTH/Plant/LV: 4/ATK: 1200/DEF: 1000} in attack mode! And then I'll have him attack your Bob-omb!"

The Bramball used its vine like legs to propel itself into the air like a helicopter, and then it barreled down toward the Bob-omb. It crashed into it, causing it to explode. (Mario: - 600)

"Rats!" said Mario. "I should have summoned him in defense mode!"

"I'll end my turn by playing the spell card, Treasure Discovery! This allows me to discard whatever I don't want in this hand to the graveyard, and then draw the same number of cards I discarded," Yoshi explained.

**[Mario: 3400/Yoshi: 3400]**

From the sidelines, Peach and Daisy were watching the duo duel. "I have to say Peach, Yoshi is starting to develop his own strategies when he duels," said Daisy.

"I know! Just think how good everyone will be at the tournament!" Peach replied.

"What is going on? A duel perhaps?" said a mystery voice.

The girls turned to see Toadsworth walking out of the castle.

"Oh I do love a good competition! I haven't seen a duel monster's game in a few years! This will be quite interesting!" he said.

_**Mario**_

"I draw!" started Mario. "And then I activate my face down card, Dimension Rift! This card allows me to summon to the field as many monsters from my hand as possible, as long as they are 3 stars or less. I only have one, though! Come forth, Podoboo {Normal- FIRE/Pyro/LV: 3/ATK: 800/DEF: 700} in defense mode!"

A ball of fire with eyes materialized before the duelists.

"I'm not done yet, though. I also summon Simmering Stu {Normal- FIRE/Pyro/LV: 3/ATK: 1100/DEF: 1400} in attack mode!" he added.

A squat, orb-shaped creature in polka dot pants and a big nose appeared on the field, its flaming head burning fiercely.

"Don't be crazy, Mario! I'll just take them out my next turn!" Yoshi taunted.

"We'll see about that! I end my turn with a face down card!" replied Mario.

_**Yoshi**_

Yoshi drew. "I set one card face down, then attack your Stu with Bramball!"

The Bramball revved for another attack, but suddenly Mario got a weird look on his face.

"I activate my trap! Savior Bob-omb! If there is a Bob-omb in my graveyard, I can attach it to the monster you are attacking, and destroy them both!"

An angelic looking Bob-omb flew out of the ground, and attached itself to Simmering Stu.

"What good will that do? It will only destroy both of them," said Yoshi.

"I'm not done explaining! You take damage equal to the attack points of the destroyed Bob-omb!"

"Round 2?"

BOOM! The Bob-omb exploded, destroying Bramball, Simmering Stu, and itself. (Yoshi: - 600)

"Dang it!" cursed Yoshi.

"Just keep trying Yoshi! I'll do whatever it takes to beat you!"

"Well, since I didn't summon a monster this turn, I'll set a monster face down in defense mode. And that will end my turn!"

**[Mario: 3400/Yoshi: 2800]**

_**Mario**_

"Hmm, I'll activate Card Destruction! Now we must discard our hands, and draw new cards," Mario explained.

They both discarded their hands, and drew 5 cards.

"_Alright!" _thought Yoshi. _"I just got a killer hand!"_

"Now, I summon Blargg {Normal- FIRE/Pyro/LV: 3/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1200} in defense mode!"

A goopy, searing mass of lava that looked like some kind of dinosaur appeared on the field, and showed force toward Yoshi.

"Now I'll activate the spell card, Double Summon! This card allows me to summon two monsters this turn! So I tribute Podoboo and Blargg to summon King Kaliente

{Normal- FIRE/Pyro/LV: 7/ATK: 2700/DEF: 2400} in attack mode!"

The huge fiery squid erupted out of a crater with a fiery splash.

"_I hope what I planned works…"_ thought Yoshi.

"And now, attack Yoshi's face down card!"

King Kaliente roared toward Yoshi's card. It spewed a hot plume of lava toward it.

"It looks like Yoshi's monster is toast!" exclaimed Daisy.

"Yeah, but Yoshi didn't take all that training for nothing," replied Toadsworth.

"Maybe he has something up his sleeve," suggested Peach.

King Kaliente destroyed the face down monster, but was also destroyed.

"Hey! What gives?" questioned Mario.

"When you destroyed my Swordsman from a Foreign Land {Effect- EARTH/Warrior/LV: 1/ATK: 250/DEF: 50}, you activated his special effect! When he's destroyed as a result of battle, the opposing monster is also destroyed, as long as it has more than 1500 attack points," Yoshi explained.

"Now that's a move!" said Peach.

"I'll say!" exclaimed Toadsworth.

"Uh! You got me!" said Mario.

"Yeah, that was a pretty sweet move!" said Yoshi.

"Yeah, I guess it was!" agreed Mario.

"And that is all I can do, so I'll end my turn!" he added.

_**Yoshi**_

"Hmm, first I'll activate the spell card, Hexagon of Courage! This card gives each of my monsters 500 additional attack and defense points, as long as I discard one card from my hand each turn," explained Yoshi.

A bright, blue hexagon appeared on the floor of Yoshi's side of the field.

"And then I'll summon Dragon Strike Yoshi {Effect- FIRE/Dinosaur/LV: 7/ATK: 2000/DEF: 1600} in attack mode!"

A rainbow Yoshi with flaming angel wings appeared from a plume of fire on the field.

"And don't forget about Hexagon of Courage!" he added. (Dragon Strike Yoshi: + HOC)={ATK: 2500/DEF: 2100}

"Hold up! How could you summon that monster if it has a summoning level of 7?" questioned Mario.

"It's his special summoning conditions! I can tribute monsters in my graveyard to summon him, as long as I remove the monsters in question from play! They also have to be monsters with Yoshi in their

name," Yoshi explained, as he held up two Baby Yoshi {Normal- EARTH/Dinosaur/LV: 2/ATK: 400/DEF: 500} cards.

"Dang!" exclaimed Mario.

"And now he will attack you directly!"

Dragon Strike Yoshi flew high into the sky, and then spewed out flaming fireballs onto Mario, exploding on contact. (Mario: - 2500)

"And that is just the beginning! My monster has a special effect!"

"He does?" asked Mario.

"Yeah! For every Effect Yoshi card in my Graveyard, he deals an extra 200 points of damage each time he successfully attacks!" (Mario: - 200)

"Great move, Yoshi!"

"Thanks, and I'll end my turn!"

**[Mario: 600/Yoshi: 2800]**

_**Mario**_

Mario drew, and got a weird look on his face.

"Yoshi, the end begins now!" he said.

"What do you mean?" Yoshi replied.

"You'll soon see."

"It's impossible! I have the strongest monster on the field, and a spell card that increases all of my monster's power!"

"Not for long! I play the spell card, Monster Reincarnation! This allows me to discard a card from my hand and summon a monster from my graveyard. And I choose my King Kaliente!"

King Kaliente reappeared on the field.

"Next, I'll throw down two face downs, and attack your Dragon Yoshi!"

King Kaliente spewed a column of magma at Dragon Strike Yoshi, and obliterated it. (Yoshi: - 300)

"That will end my turn," ended Mario.

**[Mario: 600/Yoshi: 2500]**

"I wonder what Mario has up his sleeve," said Daisy.

"I don't know, but if I know Mario, then he'll never give up," added Toadsworth.

_**Yoshi**_

"I draw," started Yoshi.

"Stop right there!" exclaimed Mario.

"I have a trap! Drop off! Now whatever you just drew must go to the graveyard," Mario explained.

"Aww, man!" sighed Yoshi.

"Did you get something good?" questioned Mario.

"Actually no, that card sucked," he replied.

"_Shame, because I have an awesome card in my hand!"_ thought Mario.

"Alright! Now I'll summon Bandit {Effect- DARK/Warrior/LV: 4/ATK: 1300/DEF: 1000} to the field in attack mode!" announced Yoshi.

A skinny, blue-clad being with a mask appeared on the field with a snicker.

"Next, I'll use his special effect! When my opponent has a monster that is a higher level than mine out on the field, Bandit can randomly select 1 card to steal from your graveyard!" he explained.

Bandit shuffled over to Mario's side of the field and touched his duel disk. A big card appeared above his head as he ran back to Yoshi, giving the card to him.

"Thank you!" said Yoshi as he looked the card over. "Just what I wanted!" he exclaimed. "I lay this card face down and end my turn!"

**[Mario: 600/Yoshi: 2500]**

"I wonder what card Yoshi got," wondered Daisy.

"Like he said, it's gotta be something good," replied Toadsworth.

_**Mario**_

Mario drew and thought carefully.

"Alright, Yoshi! I think I've got a pretty good idea of what card you got, so I won't be attacking you until I'm sure!" he explained.

"Instead, I'll set a monster in defense mode, and activate this spell card!" he announced. "Volcanic Eruption!"

Instantly, a large volcano terraformed from the ground behind Mario and spewed dozens of molten rocks.

"Just what does that card do?" asked Yoshi, who was shielding himself from the molten debris that was falling.

"If I give up half of my life points, Volcanic Eruption will destroy all cards on my opponent's side of the field!" he explained. (Mario: -300)

The lava rocks crashed onto Bandit and Yoshi's facedown card, which was Mario's Savior Bob-Omb, and obliterated them.

"No!" whimpered Yoshi in disappointment.

"It gets even better, Yoshi!" added Mario. "For each card successfully destroyed by my spell, you lose 500 life points!"

"Aww, man!" groaned Yoshi. (Yoshi: -1000)

"That ends my turn!" said Mario.

**[Mario: 300/Yoshi: 1500]**

"Whoa! Yoshi's life points sure took a beating that turn!" exclaimed Peach.

"Who do you think is going to win?" Daisy asked Toadsworth.

"Well, even though Mario has less life points, he has a strong monster out on the field. While Yoshi is seemingly in the lead, he has nothing out right now. That is very dangerous!" the old toad explained.

_**Yoshi**_

Yoshi drew with a shaky hand. He was sure being put on the ropes this time.

"All I can do is place a monster in defense mode," he sighed.

**[Mario: 300/Yoshi: 1500]**

_**Mario**_

Mario drew and added the card to his hand.

"Okay, Yoshi! It's now or never!" he exclaimed. "I summon Fire Cobra {Normal- FIRE/Pyro/LV: 2/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1100} in attack mode!"

A snake made of segments of fireballs ignited onto the field and hissed at Yoshi.

"Next, I order my King Kaliente to attack your face-down monster!" Mario yelled, and King Kaliente obeyed. It reared back, preparing to spew more flaming rocks at Yoshi's monster. Suddenly, Yoshi got a grin on his face.

The molten fireballs blasted the face-down monster, obliterating it. Mario saw what it was for a few seconds before it completely disappeared. It was a walking flower with gold petals and a cartoonish face. As the smoke cleared, Mario was preparing to attack with his Fire Cobra, until he noticed King Kaliente beginning to glow. For some reason, King Kaliente was being returned to his hand! _"An effect monster maybe?" _Mario thought.

Yoshi chuckled and held up the monster card that King Kaliente destroyed. "Surprised, Mario? It's my Crayzee Dayzee's {Effect- EARTH/Plant/LV:2/ATK: 800/DEF: 700} special effect!" he explained. "Whenever he is destroyed as a result of battle, the opponent's monster is returned to their hand!"

King Kaliente was back in Mario's hand, but he couldn't summon him again without two tributes. "No matter, I can still attack with my Fire Cobra!" Mario exclaimed. The flaming snake launched towards Yoshi and rolled into a wheel shape. It slammed it's burning body into Yoshi, knocking him backwards a little. (Yoshi: -1000)

As Yoshi recovered, Mario placed one card face down and declared the end of his turn. "All yours, Yoshi," he encouraged.

**[Mario: 300/Yoshi: 500]**

"This is an intense duel!" Daisy exclaimed.

"I'll say!" exclaimed Toadsworth. "Yoshi may have a slight edge over Mario, but their Life Points have been whittled down to almost nothing!"

"It's anyone's game, now," Peach observed.

_**Yoshi**_

Yoshi drew another card. Beads of sweat were beginning to form on his brow, as he frantically tried to formulate a strategy to win the duel. These were the last few turns, and if he didn't make them count, he might not pull through.

"Alrighty!" yelled Yoshi. "First, I'll summon Shy Guy {Normal- EARTH/Fiend/LV:3/ATK: 900/DEF: 950} in defense mode!"

A Shy Guy formed on the field, taking a defensive position.

"Next, I'll place one card face down, and end my turn," he continued.

_**Mario**_

Mario drew, adding another card to his hand. To his surprise, it was one of the most powerful cards in his deck! "Whoa…" Mario thought to himself. "I could end this duel here and now with this single card…" He thought for another second, but decided not to use it in order to make the duel seem more interesting. He shook it off and continued playing.

"Are you ready, Yoshi? This is it! I'm going to summon another Blargg {Normal- FIRE/Pyro/LV: 3/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1200}, but in attack mode this time." The mass of goopy magma materialized once again, and tried to intimidate Yoshi's Shy Guy.

"And now, Fire Cobra, attack Shy Guy!" Mario ordered. The Fire Cobra rolled into a wheel again, and flew towards the Shy Guy.

"Not so fast!" Yoshi yelled, and activated a Trap card. "I activate Negate Attack!" A whirlwind began to materialize in front of Shy Guy, but as soon as it appeared, it began to fade. Yoshi was confused, to say the least. "Hey, what gives?" he asked.

"Your trap is cancelled by my Trap card! Trap Jammer!" Mario countered.

"Oh no! That means…" Yoshi began to say.

"That my attack continues!" Mario finished, just as the Fire Cobra slammed into Shy Guy, destroying him. Yoshi was lucky that he was put in Defense Mode, since he would have lost even more Life Points.

"Shame that Yoshi's trap didn't work…" Toadsworth observed. "He still could have had a chance to win if it did."

"How is that?" Daisy asked the old Toad.

"Yoshi's Trap card, Negate Attack, blocks the opponent's attack and automatically ends the Battle Phase for that turn. Not only would he have stopped Mario's Fire Cobra from destroying his last defense, but he would have also bought himself more time to think up a strategy, because Mario wouldn't be able to attack with his Blargg either," Toadsworth explained.

"I see," Daisy replied. "But since that didn't work, Yoshi's Shy Guy is destroyed and now he's wide open for a direct attack?"

Toadsworth nodded halfheartedly in response.

"And now, attack Yoshi's Life Points directly, Blargg!" Mario ordered, and the Blargg obeyed. It dove under the field, changing into a puddle of lava. It moved swiftly across the field until it got to Yoshi. Blargg erupted from the puddle and charged straight through Yoshi, depleting the rest of his Life Points. (Yoshi: -1000)

"Wha-?" Yoshi asked in disbelief.

"And that's-a-the duel!" Mario said to Yoshi.

**[Mario: 300/Yoshi: 0] – WINNER: Mario**

"That was a great match!" Yoshi exclaimed. "Even though I lost…"

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Yoshi. You had me on the ropes the entire duel! You almost won, too!" Mario replied, and helped him to his feet.

"Thanks, same to you, too. I just hope we can have a rematch soon!" the little dinosaur laughed. "And don't worry! Before we leave for the tournament at Isle Delfino, I'll be sure to beef up my deck with some new cards and strategies!"

"You did great, guys!" Luigi exclaimed. "And congrats, bro! I just hope I never have to duel you…"

0ooOoo0

From behind some bushes over a hill on the castle grounds, two mystery figures continued to spy on the group of aspiring duelists. "Heh heh heh! King Dad will be pleased when we deliver him all of the information on these bozos' strategies and cards!" one of them said as he scribbled notes in a notebook.

"Yeah! With this information, the tournament on Isle Delfino will be as good as ours!" the other one said. Both of them chuckled, and continued to write notes on the group of duelists- who were completely unaware of the danger that their rivals in the tournament would bring.

**End of Chapter 1…**


	2. Training Day - Part 2

**Chapter 2: Training Day- Part 2**

_Attention: The format might have changed a little. I've decided that I really don't like the way I was writing in Chapter 1- so from now on this chapter will be how every chapter after this one will be written. It's a change in style, but I think people will like it better this way. It seems a lot cleaner. Thank you, and on with the story! _

Mario and Yoshi had just finished their duel. Now it was time for Peach and Luigi to go head to head. They walked up to each other and shook hands. "Give me a good match, Luigi!" Peach said happily. Luigi was less receptive, and a little scared. "Hopefully I will…" Luigi sighed. Peach noticed his lack of confidence, and felt a little sorry for him. They proceeded to walk to opposite sides of the dueling field, and activated their duel disks. "Duel!" They both shouted, and their Life Points automatically set to 4000. With that, they both drew their respective hands.

Mario, Daisy, Yoshi, and Toadsworth looked on with interest. "I wonder if Luigi has the guts to keep a straight mind and duel like I've been teaching him…" Mario said to the others. "I've been thinking the same thing," Daisy replied. "I just hope your brother learned a lot, or else he may get creamed by Peach! She's no pushover, you know." She added.

**[Luigi: 4000/Peach: 4000]**

_**Peach:**_

"Ladies first, Luigi!" Peach exclaimed, and drew her next card. She looked over her hand, and made a move. "Okay! First, I'll place this card face-down. Then, I will summon Cheep-Cheep

{Effect- WATER/Fish/LV: 3/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1050} in Defense mode!" she said. A red and white, buggy eyed fish materialized on the field- hopping up and down. "That will end my turn," Peach conceded.

_**Luigi: **_

"O-okay! My turn…" Luigi mumbled as he shakily drew his next card. _"GAH! This hand is absolutely no good!" _he panicked. Then he remembered what Mario said to him that morning. _"Luigi, even if things seem hopeless in a certain situation in Duel Monsters, always remember that there will be time to rethink your strategy and possibly come out on top!"_ his brother had said.

Luigi then took a second look at his hand. Maybe there _was _something he could do to form a strategy. "Alright, Peach! Get ready, cause here I come!" he suddenly declared. Everyone was stunned by his newfound confidence. "I'm gonna summon Cataquack {Normal- WATER/Aqua/LV: 4/ATK: 1200/DEF: 750} in Attack mode!" he explained. A blue, spherical, duck-like creature materialized on the field, quacking obnoxiously. "And now, I'll attack with it! Go, Cataquack! Attack her Cheep-Cheep with your 'Springboard Fling' attack, now!" he ordered, and the Cataquack obeyed- charging toward the flopping Cheep-Cheep. It picked the fish up in its beak, and flung it high in the air, where it shattered into pieces in the typical Duel Monsters fashion.

Peach was surprised, but her Life Points were untouched. "Good play, Luigi!" Peach encouraged.

"Really? You really think so?" Luigi asked bashfully.

Peach nodded. "Yes. Good. But not good enough!" she replied.

"Wha- what do you m-mean?" Luigi asked nervously. "My Cheep-Cheep has a special effect, Luigi. Allow me to explain. If my Cheep-Cheep is in the Graveyard, it can be removed from play to act as a tribute for any water-attribute monster in my deck or hand!" she explained with a little smile.

"Wha-wha-WHAT?!" Luigi yelled. "So I just helped you summon a better monster?!" he asked, obviously flustered.

"In a way, yes," Peach giggled. "Except the monster that I have in mind required two tributes in order to summon it, so you're in the clear for now!" she added.

This made Luigi feel a bit more relieved, though. _"Whew, that's a relief! But one more move like that, and I'm gonna end up helping Peach win the duel myself!" _Luigi thought. "I guess I'll end my turn then…" Luigi announced.

_**Peach:**_

Peach drew her card. "I'll throw this card down…" she said warily, and another card appeared next to the one she played earlier. "And I'll summon

Durmite {Normal- EARTH/Insect/LV: 4/ATK: 1400/DEF: 1600} in Attack mode!" she said. A light blue and pink centipede-like monster with a big pink bow on its head appeared in front of Peach. "Now, Durmite! Attack Cataquack!" she ordered, and her monster dove underground before popping up again underneath Luigi's Cataquack. It was propelled into the air where it disentigrated. (Luigi: -200)

"With that, I'll end my turn. Your move, Luigi…" acknowledged Peach.

**[Luigi: 3800/Peach: 4000]**

_**Luigi: **_

"_Oh no! I'm wide open! I gotta find a way to turn this thing around before she gains an even bigger upper hand!" _Luigi thought frantically. He looked over his hand as he drew his next card. _"This might be able to help…" _he thought. "Okay! I'll activate the Spell card, Trial of the Bewitched!" Luigi announced. "Know what it does? Well allow me to explain! Every time we want to use the special effect of an Effect Monster card, we must pay 800 Life Points! And guess what? It's a _permanent_ Spell, so I would get used to these new rules if I were you," Luigi confidently explained.

"Wait! Then that means… I'll have to pay 800 Life Points in order to use my Cheep-Cheep's effect! Dang it!" Peach sulked.

"You got that right! Oh, and it shouldn't affect me too much, since most of my Monsters are of the Normal kind!" Luigi smirked.

"Wow! Luigi's acting pretty confident out there, isn't he?" Daisy observed. "Yeah!" chuckled Mario. "Although, I hope he doesn't get too over-confident. That very same cockiness has cost many duelists a match before, so hopefully this doesn't go to his head," he explained.

"That's quite the useful card, Luigi! Now what else have you got up your sleeve?" Peach asked nonchalantly.

Luigi nodded back at her with determination in his eyes. "I'll show you! Now I summon Buzzar {Normal- WIND/Winged-Beast/LV: 4/ATK: 1800/DEF: 1750}, in Attack Mode!" he yelled, and a sizeable buzzard-like bird appeared on the field. It squawked loudly and flapped its wings before rising a little into the air. Peach had to cover her face as the wind gusts created by the creature's wings kicked up some dust on the field. "And now, Buzzar! Attack her Durmite with 'Talon Tundrade'!" Luigi said to his Monster, and it followed his orders. Buzzar flew high into the air, and locked eyes with its target- Peach's Durmite. It dove in for the blow, but not before Peach activated one of her face-down cards.

"Hold on!" Peach yelled as her Trap activated.

"Say what?!" Luigi yelled in surprise.

"I activate my Trap card- Encasing Crystal!" Peach announced, as a clear, crystal prism formed around her Durmite. Buzzar kept attacking, but it was unable to harm Peach's Durmite. To Luigi's surprise however, his attack somewhat worked, since Peach lost the appropriate amount of Life Points. (Peach: -400)

"Well, what did that card do?" the plumber asked in confusion.

"Encasing Crystal activates whenever one of my Monsters is attacked. It saves my Monster from being destroyed by battle, but it doesn't protect my Life Points," the princess explained as the crystal coating her Monster disappeared.

"That card seems kinda useless if you ask me," Daisy commented. "Why would Peach protect her Monster but not her Life Points? I mean, why not let the Monster take the fall- isn't that the whole point of summoning Monsters?" she asked in confusion.

"Well, Daisy, sometimes you want to keep your Monsters on the field," Toadsworth replied. "They might be part of a strategy, or needed for summoning a bigger monster," the old Toad explained.

"I see now…" Daisy replied. "What could she be trying to summon, I wonder?"

"Hey, what's everyone doing outside?" said a familiar voice. The spectators turned toward the castle doors to see Toad walking out. "What's this?" aked Toad. "Some kinda party or what?"

Daisy and Mario shook their heads. "No, Toad. We're playing Duel Monsters," Mario replied.

Toad blinked in disbelief. "Duel _what_?" he asked. "Why?"

"Just watch and find out…" Daisy replied, getting somewhat annoyed.

**[Luigi: 3800/Peach: 3600]**

_**Peach:**_

"My move!" Peach said as she drew her next card. "First, I'll tribute my Durmite. Then, I'll use my Cheep-Cheep's effect to tribute him from my Graveyard as well- removing him from play in the process!" she said as her Durmite was sent to the Graveyard and her Cheep-Cheep was banished.

"Don't forget about my Trial of the Bewitched card! You lose 800 Life Points!" Luigi explained. (Peach: -800)

"No matter, I have much bigger plans in store for you, Luigi!" Peach retorted. "By sacrificing my two Monsters, I summon the most powerful card in my deck!" she announced. Everyone looked on with great interest as to what she might summon. "I summon the mighty Blizzaurus!" Peach yelled as she played the card, and a Monster began materializing on the field. Luigi suddenly got very nervous.

"_Her most powerful card? What could this Monster have in store for me?"_ Luigi thought.

The white light dissipated, and left behind an unimpressive looking, short sprite-like being. "Snoo-snee!" it giggled adorably, and winked at Luigi. {Effect- WATER/Fairy/LV: 8/ATK: 800/DEF: 600}

Everyone stood around with looks of complete shock on their faces. "Wha… what is _THAT_?!" stammered Mario in bewilderment.

"Hey come on, Peach! That isn't funny!" Daisy yelled to her cousin.

"I woke up from my afternoon nap for this?" Toad grumbled.

Luigi stood there, sizing up his Monster's opponent. "Uh, Peach? Are you feeling alright?" he asked.

"What? I'm feeling _great_!" Peach cooed. "Especially since I'm about to activate my cute little Blizzaurus' special ability!"

"Uh oh. Judging by all the trouble that Peach went through to summon that thing, it's effect can't be good!" Yoshi observed.

"That's fine and dandy. Just remember that when you use a Monster's special ability, you lose 800 Life Points!" Luigi reminded her. (Peach: -800)

"It's well worth the cost, Luigi, believe me!" Peach replied. "Now watch this! By sending one of my Spell or Trap cards on my side of the field to the Graveyard, I change my Monster completely!" she explained, and sent her last remaining face-down card to the Graveyard- which was the Trap card, The Emperor's Holiday. Peach's Monster began to transform before everyone's eyes. It changed from a timid, adorable little snowy sprite into a creature that was totally different. It had now become a huge, pale blue dragon with poofy hair and a gleaming white horn on its nose. It reared back, and roared at Luigi- blowing his cap clean off of his head, and sending him to the ground. "Luigi, meet the true form of Blizzaurus!" Peach proclaimed as Luigi sat on the ground- rooted by the dragon's intimidation.

"Whoa! It looks so powerful!" Toad exclaimed from the sidelines.

"That little effect did more than just change my snow spirit's appearance-," Peach explained. "It also completely changed its stats! Take a look!" {Effect- WATER/Dragon/LV: 8/ATK: 3000/DEF: 2800}

"She's right! It completely changed its type, points, everything!" Yoshi exclaimed.

"And now, Blizzaurus! Attack Buzzar with 'Frostbite Blast'!" Peach commanded her dragon, and it complied. Blistering cold energy built up inside Blizzaurus' maw- until it was unleashed in a beam of concentrated ice at Luigi's Buzzar. The winged-beast was helpless, as the ice beam froze it. The frozen bird shattered into pieces as Luigi sat on the ground- surprised at the beasts' power. (Luigi: -1200)

"That shall end my turn," Peach announced gracefully.

**[Luigi: 2600/Peach: 2000]**

"Talk about a comeback…" Mario said.

"Yeah, and I have to say- even though Luigi is ahead in Life Points, it's going to take a complete stroke of luck to come up with a Monster that can take Peach's Blizzaurus on. Right now she is the one that controls the Duel," Toadsworth explained.

"That's right, and I have yet to see a Monster with more raw strength than Blizzaurus!" Mario added.

_**Luigi:**_

Luigi remained on the ground, stunned by the odds he faced. _"I can't believe it! Peach has an incredibly strong Monster out, and I have nothing! I gotta do something to turn this duel around! Come on, I just have to believe in myself!" _he thought as he began to sweat from the pressure. Luigi stood up and drew his next card. "Okay, I'm gonna place a Monster face-down in Defense Mode!" he said as a Monster card was set in Defense Mode. "And I'll also place a face-down," he added, and another card was set. "That should end my turn," Luigi said.

_**Peach: **_

"My move!" Peach said as she drew her next card. "I summon Wiggler {Effect- EARTH/Insect/LV: 4/ATK: 1200/DEF: 1300} in Attack Mode!" she declared, and a large, brown and yellow caterpillar with a flower on its head appeared on the field. "Next, I'll play the Spell card, Gift of a Guardian Angel! With this, every time that one of my Monsters is destroyed by battle, I regain 500 Life Points after damage calculation. Pretty sweet, huh?" Peach explained. "And guess what? It's a Continuous Spell, so its permanent just like your Spell, Luigi!" she laughed.

"Ah, rats!" Luigi swore, and scratched his head.

"Now for some action! Wiggler! Attack his face-down card!" Peach ordered. The Wiggler charged across the field surprisingly fast, and rolled into a wheel formation as it attacked Luigi's face-down Monster. The Monster was revealed, but it wasn't one that Peach wanted to see. "Oh no!" she gasped. Her Wiggler bounced off the Monster's hard surface and back to her side of the field, getting a little red with anger.

"What's wrong, Peach? Aren't happy to see my Wallop {Normal- EARTH/Rock/LV: 3/ATK: 100/DEF: 2000}?" Luigi asked deviously. Peach's attack was thwarted by a large wall-like creature with feet, deep dark eyes, and yellow pupils. "Since your Wiggler's Attack points are lower than my Wallop's Defense points, your attack fails and the difference between them is detracted from your Life Points," Luigi explained.

"I know how the game works, Luigi!" Peach huffed. (Peach: -800) "The question remains, however. Do you?" she retorted. "Now Blizzaurus! Attack his Wallop with your 'Frostbite Blast'!" she ordered, and her dragon obeyed. Another burst of icy energy shot from Blizzaurus' mouth, and Luigi's Wallop was destroyed in a white, frosty blast. "I end my turn," Peach announced.

**[Luigi: 2600/Peach: 1200]**

_**Luigi:**_

Luigi drew his next card, and by chance he looked up and saw what Peach's Wiggler was doing. It was growing very angry, as steam whistled from its nose and its body turned red. "Uhh, Peach? Mind telling me what's wrong with your little caterpillar?" Luigi asked cautiously.

Peach just laughed. "It seems like he's pretty steamed from what happened to him last turn," she explained.

"Oh, that's all?" Luigi breathed in relief.

"Should I also mention that it has to do with his special effect?" Peach added with a smirk.

"Say what?" Luigi asked in concern.

"Oh yes. Whenever my Wiggler attacks unsuccessfully, his attack power _doubles_!" the princess explained. (Wiggler + Effect = ATK: 2400/DEF: 1300)

"SAY WHAT?!" Luigi repeated. Now he was staring down _two_ very powerful Monsters. "Wait, that also means my Trial of the Bewitched card activates!" Luigi added. (Peach: -800)

"That's quite alright, since there is nothing you can do to stop my Monsters!" Peach retorted.

"Maybe she's right," Luigi said to himself. And then he had a thought. "Wait a second! I know what I can do!" he exclaimed. _"If I can stall her long enough, maybe I can find the cards I need to win against her Monsters!_" he thought. "I set a Monster in Defense Mode! Now I end my turn…"

**[Luigi: 2600/Peach: 400]**

"Peach is about to lose!" Daisy exclaimed. "What is she doing?"

"It looks to be that way…" Toadsworth added. "Although if I know her, then I would say that she still has a few tricks up her sleeve."

"Yeah, I mean she keeps using her Monster's effects even though she knows that they will cost her Life Points!" Yoshi observed.

"Luigi is doing well though," Mario commented. _"Come on, Luigi!" _he thought.

_**Peach:**_

Peach drew her next card, and started to smile. "Luigi, I'm sorry that this duel has to end so soon…" she smirked.

"What makes you say that?" Luigi asked as he started to sweat again.

"I'll tell you why! First, I'll activate the Spell card, Mystical Space Typhoon! This lets me destroy any Spell or Trap card on the field, and I choose yours, Luigi!" she explained as she activated the card, and out of nowhere, a vortex opened up and sucked Luigi's face down card in- destroying it.

"No! My Golden Leaf Trap card!" Luigi gulped. _"Dang! That would have saved me if my Monster was destroyed! It could have reduced the direct damage I took from her Monsters to 0 if I had played it right when she attacked my Life Points directly! I'm defenseless!"_ he thought.

"Now its my Monster's time to shine!" Peach exclaimed. "First, I'll have my Wiggler attack your face-down card again!" she said, and her Wiggler attacked again, only this time it succeeded in destroying Luigi's Monster.

"No! My Buzzy Beetle {Effect- EARTH/Reptile/LV: 2/ATK: 500/DEF: 1000}!" Luigi cried in vain.

"And now, attack him directly, my Blizzaurus! 'Frostbite Blast'!" Peach exclaimed. Her Blizzaurus responded, and fired a frosty energy beam at Luigi. The attack connected, and Luigi fell backwards a little. (Luigi: -3000) He was defeated.

**[Luigi: 0/Peach: 400] – WINNER: Peach**

"WHOA!" Toad exclaimed. "Peach came from behind and won!"

"He was so close…" Mario said.

"I can't believe it! That had to be the most tense Duel ever!" Daisy said in excitement.

"Well played, your Highness!" Toadsworth called from the sidelines.

"Well played, Luigi!" Yoshi added.

Luigi remained on the ground in a state of trance. _"I knew it was hopeless…" _he thought. _"I couldn't have won anyway. She's just too good! I'll probably never be as good as her or Mario…" _He was brought out of his daze when Peach walked over to him and helped him up.

"Great Duel!" she laughed, and gave him a pat on the back.

"Yeah! It was really close! Not to mention _AWESOME_!" Toad exclaimed. "I'm definitely tagging along at your tournament! I just gotta see more of these Duels!" he continued- regardless if anyone was actually listening.

"You were so great out there!" Luigi huffed. "How do you do it?" he asked.

"Practice, Luigi!" she winked at him, and left to go see Daisy and Toadsworth.

Mario was about to congratulate Luigi on a great match, but he could instantly tell that something was wrong. The minute everyone turned away, his happy expression faded into one of sadness. "Bro?" Mario asked in concern. "What's wrong?"

Luigi gave his brother a half-hearted glance. "It's just… that I'll never be as good as everyone else at Duel Monsters," he replied bitterly.

"Hey, just because you lost _one_ duel…" Mario began, but Luigi cut him off.

"Try much more than that. Remember when we were practicing?" Luigi asked him.

Mario did remember. Luigi lost every single practice Duel they had, and not once did Mario truly realize it. "Well, those don't really count-," he began again, but he was interrupted by his brother once more.

"They _do_ count…" Luigi replied.

"Well, who knows? Maybe you could have won if Peach didn't draw Mystical Space Typhoon. I saw the card you had, Luigi. You could have turned things around," Mario mentioned.

"You're wrong… I could have just stalled longer," his brother replied.

Mario scratched his head. No matter what scenario he could come up with, it wouldn't make his brother feel any better. "You did very well, Luigi!" Mario said. "You just have to practice more, like Peach said."

"Is there even a point in me going to the tournament?" Luigi sulked. "I'm just no good."

"Of course there is, Luigi!" Mario encouraged. "You can show everyone that you're a better Duelist than they give you credit for! You can prove yourself, Luigi!" he exclaimed.

Luigi thought about it for a second, and then gave Mario a thumbs up. "You're right, Mario. I should stop sulking and get Dueling!" he said.

"That's the spirit! I and the others will help you!" Mario replied happily. "Let's go into the castle with everyone else… maybe Yoshi will Duel you," he said.

As the brothers walked back to the castle with everyone else, the same two figures were still watching them. "Iggy! Tell me you got all of that!" one of them said to the other.

"Yeah, I got it, Larry!" the other one replied. "Let's get back to King Dad so he can reward us!"

0ooOoo0

The two Koopalings had returned to Castle Koopa via Warp Pipe, and were looking around for their father. As usual, he was sitting in his throne room, hatching plans, no doubt. "King Dad! King Dad!" they shouted simultaneously. Bowser slowly awoke from the daze he was in, and looked at his two sons.

"So you have the intel?" he asked them.

"Yessir!" Iggy replied cheerfully.

"So, spit it out! Before I make you…" Bowser growled.

"Uh, alright!" Larry huffed. "Okay, so this is how it is. Mario and Peach will definitely be the hardest to beat, since their decks are strong and their strategies are well-thought out. Yoshi is good, but not great due to him not knowing how to use his cards in conjunction with each other. Luigi is definitely the weakest link, since he has some sort of confidence problem when it comes to Duel Monsters…" he explained.

"Hmm. He has a confidence problem _period_," snickered Bowser. "Excellent work boys! Now with this information, the entire tournament on Isle Delfino, including it's prize money- will be mine for the taking!" he laughed evilly.

"Cool! So how about our reward?!" Iggy asked greedily.

Bowser just looked at his two boys. "Reward?" he asked condescendingly. "This information you collected is your reward, boys…" he admitted.

"WHAT?! Err I mean… really? Thank you Dad!" replied a disappointed Larry.

"You boys need to continue training! The big tournament is less than two days away, and you need to be ready to destroy the competition! This information will help you and your siblings!" the Koopa king explained. His boys just gave him an apathetic glare. "GET OUT OF HERE AND START TRAINING!" Bowser roared, which of course made his boys obey.

"Yes, father!" Iggy and Larry both yelled before running out of the room.

Bowser reclined in his throne and chuckled evilly. "Soon the moment of truth will arrive. I'll be the Duel Monsters World Champion, I'll be even richer, and I'll have Peach by my side- but most importantly, I'll have gotten rid of those meddlesome Mario Bros. once and for all!"

**End of Chapter 2…**


	3. Welcome to Paradise

**Chapter 3: Welcome to Paradise**

_Above the Ocean…_

The private jet streaked across the cloudy sky, miles above the bright, blue ocean beneath. It was set on a course for Isle Delfino, where the big Duel Monsters Tournament was going to be held. On board, there were many tourists and Duel fans alike- but only a few actual Duelists. Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, and Peach were relaxing on their way to the tournament, but they were also trying to get their last-minute strategies and decks prepared for the oncoming challenges. Toad, Toadsworth, and Daisy came along as well- hoping to catch some more Dueling action while also cheering their friends on.

"Attention all passengers, we will be landing at Delfino Airstrip in approximately thirty minutes. Please make sure your baggage is secure and ready to leave the plane. Be sure to adjust your seats into an upright position when getting ready to land. Thank you, and have a wonderful time on Isle Delfino!" the captain said over the intercom.

Luigi looked out of his window and down at the ocean. Mario scooted over to where he was, and looked out the same window as Luigi started to sigh. "Cheer up Luigi!" Mario said to his brother. "We'll be on Isle Delfino in no time, and then we'll get Dueling!"

Luigi looked back at Mario and smiled. "You're right, Mario. And with all of the extra training we've been doing, we're sure to take the competition by storm!" he replied happily. "Plus, I've never been to Isle Delfino before… Since I was the only one that didn't go last time," he commented.

"Be glad you didn't go…" Mario grumbled, and rubbed his head. "I'll never forget that vacation! One of the hardest jobs of my life!"

"I remember it like it was just yesterday," Peach added with a bashful smile.

"It'll be different this time though, right?" Yoshi laughed. "This time we're here for a tournament with the greatest Duelists in the world!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"This won't be easy, guys…" Peach said, getting everyone's attention. "The best Duelists in the world will be here- and that means we'll have to give them our best if we want any hope of making it to the finals," she explained.

Mario pulled out his deck and started to thumb through it. "As long as I keep a level head and trust in my cards, nothing should be able to deter me. The same goes for everyone else here…" he thought, and looked over at his friends, who were having a great time already.

0ooOoo0

_At the Delfino Airstrip…_

Everyone began to disembark after their plane had landed on the airstrip. The minute the tropical air hit them, they knew they were in for a spectacular retreat. Peach walked off the plane first, and held up one of her signature parasols. Everyone else followed suit, as Pianta islanders came over to greet them.

"We wish that you have a wonderful stay!" they greeted happily. "Have fun in the sun, and be sure to catch the big Duel Monsters tournament that is starting today!"

Luigi gulped in surprise. "Ooh, that's right, Mario!" he cringed. "That tournament starts today- and I'm still jet-lagged!" he groaned.

"It'll be fine, Luigi!" Mario reassured him. "Once we hit Delfino Plaza and grab some of the island's delicacies, we'll be in great shape for the tournament!" he added.

Luigi perked up a bit. "Well, I suppose that could help…" he laughed.

Peach walked up to the rest of the group and called a quick meeting. "Alright guys, we'll get our travel service to deliver our baggage to Hotel Delfino on Sirena Beach for tonight. Our main focus is getting to the island and getting ready for the festivities. The tournament registration services told us to meet at one 'o'clock p.m. sharp in the Main Square. It's nearly nine a.m. right now, so we have a little more time to check out the sights," she explained.

"That's good. I was hoping to grab something to eat before the dueling starts. Can't duel on an empty stomach, you know!" Yoshi said.

Everyone began to pile onto the ferry that would take them to Isle Delfino- more specifically, Delfino Plaza. As the ferry shoved off, many islanders in hula garb waved goodbye and wished the group a happy vacation.

0ooOoo0

_In Delfino Plaza…_

Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, Toad, and Toadsworth had reached Delfino Plaza, and left their luggage with their travel service. With all of the formalities out of the way, the group could start to enjoy their time on the island. By noon, the group had reached the market district of Delfino Plaza- which wasn't far from the Main Square. Food and thrift vendors lined the beachfront street, and the sounds of island festivities could be heard all around. "This is gonna be _sweet_!" Yoshi said, and darted for the nearest fruit stand in the market.

"Come back soon, Yoshi!" Mario shouted to the hungry dinosaur. "The tournament will start soon!" he added. Yoshi seemed to get the message, but he was too preoccupied with scarfing down as many pineapples, coconuts, and papayas as he could. Everyone else just shook their head and laughed.

"Well, that's Yoshi for you…" Toad remarked.

An hour had passed, and in the meantime everyone had gotten their fill of island delicacies. It was now time for them to report to the Main Square for the celebration to kick off the tournament. Everyone met back up, and proceeded to walk into the Main Square- Duel Disks adorned. As they walked through a large arch, they entered the Main Square in all its glory. The rustic and tropical feel of the place was breathtaking, but the crowd that inhabited the space was an even bigger cause for awe.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Luigi.

"There are so many people!" Daisy said in awe. "Do you think they're all Duelists?"

"Probably not- look," Toadsworth replied, and pointed to a group of seemingly wealthy business folk. "If I am to guess correctly, some of these people are probably judges or investors of some sort," he explained. The wealthy group continued to talk amongst themselves, unbeknownst to anyone around them.

"Hey! There's a Duelist!" Yoshi said, and pointed at a short, purple Pianta in a white tank top. He wore a Duel Disk, just like Mario and the gang.

"In fact, he sort of looks familiar…" Mario realized. They all walked closer to him, and he quickly turned around to face them- surprising Luigi. In fact, he wasn't a Pianta at all- but instead was an extremely fit and short human, who just happened to be wearing a Pianta costume.

"GAH!" He yelled, and fell on the ground. "Don't scare me like that, man!" he whimpered.

"It's you!" Mario exclaimed, and a competitive but friendly smile crept across his face. "II Piantissimo! I didn't expect to see you here!" he said.

II Piantissimo blinked his eyes and let out a hearty laugh. "Well, Mario! I could say the same thing to you right now!" he laughed. "I didn't know you were a Duelist!"

"Likewise," Mario replied. "So what brought you to enter the tournament?" he asked.

"Well, Duel Monsters is a competitive game, is it not?" Piantissimo replied, and held up his Duel Disk. "I made it my mission in life to conquer every sport ever invented- and Duel Monsters is just competitive enough to fall into that category!" he explained.

"Duel Monsters… a sport?" Peach blinked. "Well, I guess I never thought of it that way, and I suppose that's true," she laughed.

Piantissimo instantly ran up to Peach and grabbed her hands. He knelt down on one knee and kissed her hand. "My paradise flower!" he sighed. "Forgive me! I did not see you at first, and it is a shame I did not!" he said rather comically, and kissed her hand again.

Peach shook her head and blushed. "Um… pardon me, sir?" she asked timidly.

"You, my sweet!" Piantissimo replied. "I have been waiting for someone as beautiful as you my whole entire life!" he sobbed, and held her hands tighter.

"Oh _brother_!" Yoshi sighed and brought his hand to his forehead. Meanwhile, Mario just stood beside Peach with an expression of complete disbelief.

"_Run away with me!"_, Piantissimo pleaded to her.

"OKAY!" Mario yelled and began to lead Peach away from the love struck Pianta impersonator. "I think its time we met some of the other competitors, don't you think, guys?" Mario continued, and everyone followed his lead. "We'll see you later, Romeo!" Mario huffed.

"Yeah, we have to size up the competition!" Peach said back to Piantissimo, who was obviously also wanting to get away from the little Casanova.

"Do not be long, my love! My heart will be cheering for you!" Piantissimo called to Peach.

"What just happened?" Toad remarked.

The group walked around a bit and saw many Duelists of different calibers. One strange group in particular wore different colored robes with hoods, and had Shy Guy masks on. At first they thought they actually were Shy Guys, but then they realized that Shy Guys never grew to be that tall. They seemed to keep to themselves and looked very standoffish. Mario could sense that they meant bad news, and that they should stay away from them as much as possible. Peach on the other hand, was inquisitive. She wanted to Duel them and get to the bottom of why they presented themselves in such a weird way. Toadsworth thought that they might be part of an elite Dueling Society, but no one in the group knew for sure.

Soon enough, Mario and Luigi spotted some more familiar faces. They were resting beneath one of the many palm trees that lined the square, and were snacking on some bananas. "Donkey Kong! Diddy!" Luigi exclaimed. The monkeys turned their attention to the group that approached them and stood up. Donkey Kong's big, lumbering body dwarfed anyone in the group, while Diddy's chimp-like build kept him on par with Toad and Toadsworth.

"Hey, Mario Bros.!" Donkey Kong greeted happily. "You guys enter the tournament too?" he asked as he held up his Duel Disk.

Mario nodded. "Yep! I, Luigi, Peach, and Yoshi did. What do you think of the competition so far?" he asked the apes.

"There are going to be a lot of good duelists here," Donkey Kong replied. "And I have a particularly bad feeling about those fellas over there…" he added, and pointed to the robed group that they saw earlier.

"I don't know what they are doing, but not many people I know would dress up that outlandishly just to play Duel Monsters," Peach said.

"They're probably just trying to intimidate the competition," Toad suggested.

"Well, they can try all they want. Although no one is as good at intimidating the competition than ol' Piantissimo back there!" Luigi joked.

"Attention, Duelists!" a voice said over some loudspeakers. Everyone in the square directed their attention toward a makeshift platform that held a host of officials and judges. One of them held up the microphone, and he seemed familiar to the group. It was a small guy with a big voice, and a blue top hat that could speak.

"Isn't that MC Ballyhoo?" Yoshi asked.

"Hello and welcome to the Isle Delfino Duel Monsters Tournament!" he exclaimed, and the crowd went wild. "Before we start, I would like you all to welcome the Chief Organizer and Sponsor of this tournament, for whom this would not be possible without!" he proclaimed. "Give a warm welcome to the CEO of Golbobbington's, Mr. Goldbob!" A golden bob-omb in a top hat walked out onto the platform and one of his aides lowered the microphone for him.

"Ahem! I would like to welcome all of you to the beautiful, tranquil island of Delfino!" he greeted, and the crowd cheered.

"Heh. From building cannons to hosting Duel Monsters tournaments…" Toadsworth chuckled. "Who would've thought!"

"Now, you have all come here for one reason only! To Duel!" he exclaimed, and the crowd cheered again. "I wanted to host this tournament to find the greatest Duelists in the Mushroom Kingdom, and I am sure you lot won't disappoint! The best of the best will make it to the finals! How do you do this? It's very simple you see…" he explained. "You must Duel against others and wager Duel Badges!" he said, and one of his aides brought a pillow with many thin, golden badges resting on it. "Both participants must wager these badges on Duels, and the winner gets to gain badges as well as keep their own, while the loser loses his badges. If you lose all of your badges, then you are out of the tournament. Each Duelist in a match must wager the same amount of badges as well. However, if you manage to collect eight badges, then you will have gained entry into the tournament finals!" he explained, and the crowd became anxious. "I won't tell you any more about the finals, for fear of spoiling some of the surprises- so you'll just have to make it there to learn more! One more thing," he added. "You may Duel wherever you wish! The entire island itself is in bounds, including the offshore Pinna Park. You will not, however, have unlimited time. You have today and tomorrow to get enough badges so that you may gain entry into my finals. You must present them to my officials at midnight on the final day. You will find them in this square," Goldbob explained "Now that explanations are out of the way, how about we get this started?" he asked the enthusiastic crowd of Duelists. They went wild in response. "Alright, then! You have a half an hour to prepare your decks and yourselves. When the bells in the square ring, the Duels will begin!" he announced. Everyone immediately began to look through their decks and make last minute adjustments.

"Well, I guess we'd better go find some opponents," Donkey Kong said to Mario and his friends.

"Yeah, same with us!" Mario replied. "Maybe we'll see each other later on," he added.

"Catch you guys later!" Diddy yelled back at them, and ran off to catch up with Donkey Kong. Mario waved back at them, but out of the corner of his eye he noticed one of the robed figures looking at him. Mario quickly looked his way, but he turned as soon as Mario did.

"Mario?" Luigi asked, and put his hand on his shoulder, jolting his brother out of his alert state. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"I don't like the look of those guys…" Mario explained.

"I don't either, but remember, we have a tournament to attend! We'll deal with them later- hopefully on the Dueling field!" Yoshi said as he walked up beside the Mario Bros.

"I hope that's all we have to do to deal with them…" Luigi shivered.

Soon, a half hour had passed. Everyone was good and set to Duel, and the air of competition was thick. The bells inside the square began to ring, and the Duelists scrambled to finish up their preparations. "Ladies and Gentlemen!" Ballyhoo shouted over the loudspeakers. "Start your Duel Disks!" he added. Suddenly, Duel Disks began activating and the games were on!

"Look! It's starting!" Peach exclaimed excitedly.

"How about we split up, and meet back here in a few hours?" Yoshi suggested. Everyone thought it was a good idea, so they went with it. Mario and Luigi remained in Delfino Plaza. Peach, Daisy, and Toadsworth headed off to Gelato Beach. Yoshi and Toad made their way to Bianco Hills.

"Okay, Luigi! See anyone who's ready to Duel?" Mario asked his younger brother.

Luigi had begun to get very nervous and started to sweat. "Uh, no," he replied simply. "I'll go look over here…" he said timidly, until a voice stopped him.

"Mario, my friend!" Piantissimo shouted as he ran up to the brothers. "Have you found anyone to duel?" he asked. Mario and Luigi shook their heads, and were about to say something when the Pianta impersonator cut them off. "Well now you have!" he challenged, and activated his Duel Disk. "I wager two whole badges!" he added.

The Mario Bros. were stunned by his bravado. If he lost, then he would be dropped from the tournament! "Okay then, I'll…" Mario replied, but was cut off by Piantissimo again. "Let's make this more interesting…" he said slyly.

"Wha-what do you mean?" Mario asked cautiously.

"Whoever wins this Duel gets to take Peach out on a romantic date!" Piantissimo explained.

Mario's eyes went wide with shock. "You can't be serious!" he exclaimed in disbelief.

"Mario? He just wagered all of his badges and is risking losing the tournament in hopes of going out with Peach," replied Luigi. "I'm pretty sure he's serious!"

"Oh yes? Well I am, plumbers!" Piantissimo explained. "And to prove it we will Duel right here, right now… unless you are a chicken!" he challenged.

Mario's eyes lit up with fire, and he also activated his Duel Disk in response. "You want Peach and my badges? You'll have to go through me!" Mario shot back.

"**DUEL!**" they both shouted simultaneously, and the duel to stay in the tournament and win a date with Peach began!

**End of Chapter 3…**


	4. The Start of the Tournament

**Chapter 4: The Start of the Tournament**

_In Delfino Square…_

Luigi watched from the sidelines as Mario, and Piantissimo began their Duel. It was the first day of the Duel Monsters tournament on Isle Delfino, and the air was thick with competition. Mario's first challenger was an old friend of his who he met when he first came to the island- the super athlete, Piantissimo. Now, they were Dueling for the heart of Princess Peach. Mario and Piantissimo had foolishly made a bet on their Duel- whoever came out victorious would get to take Peach out on a romantic date that night. Luigi knew how much Peach meant to his brother, and it would tear him apart if Peach had to go on a date with someone she didn't like. Plus, Mario would be heartbroken. All of this seemed overwhelming for Luigi, and he wasn't even the one Dueling yet! "You got this, Bro!" Luigi proudly cheered from the sidelines. Mario stopped for a second, and turned to his brother. He nodded, smiled, and gave him a thumbs up. Now that he had his brother's support, Mario felt that he could take on anyone. And that's precisely what he was about to do.

**[Mario: 4000/Piantissimo: 4000]**

_**Piantissimo:**_

"I'll do the honors," Piantissimo said, and drew his first card. Mario couldn't see Piantissimo's expression behind his purple Pianta mask, but he could feel that he was smirking about something. "How about we warm up a little before heading into our full-on sprint? I summon Slugger {Effect- EARTH/Warrior/LV: 3/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1000} in Defense Mode!" Piantissimo explained, as a shy guy-like creature with a longer robe, baseball bat, and a catcher's facemask appeared on the field in a defensive position. "I then place one card face down and end my turn," he added.

_**Mario:**_

"You call that an opening move? HA!" Mario scoffed, and drew his card. "I suppose I should _warm_ up as well, so I summon Simmering Stu {Normal- FIRE/Pyro/LV: 3/ATK: 1100/DEF: 1400} in Attack Mode!" Mario announced, and his Simmering Stu appeared on the field. "Let's skip straight to the good stuff!" Mario shouted. "Attack, Simmering Stu!" he ordered, and the little monster hastily shuffled its way across the field to Piantissimo's Slugger. It rammed into the Slugger with its red hot body, but to Mario's surprise, the Slugger didn't even seem to flinch. Instead, it looked like it was getting ready to counterattack. "Hey! What gives?" Mario asked his opponent.

"Watch and learn, Mario!" Piantissimo shouted back, and watched as his Slugger began to do something. It picked up the Simmering Stu with its gloved hand, and tossed it into the air. While Mario's monster was coming back down, Slugger got its bat and held it back, ready to hit a home run. It swung its bat and hit Simmering Stu right back at Mario, who barely had any time to react. Mario's monster disintegrated as it hit him, somehow dealing damage. (Mario: -550)

"What the heck was that?" Mario asked, while Piantissimo laughed.

"It's my Slugger's special ability!" he explained to the confused plumber. "Whenever you try to attack me with a monster that has less than 1500 Attack Points, it is automatically destroyed and half of its Attack power is dealt to you as direct damage. Neat, Isn't it?" Piantissimo elaborated.

Mario scowled and looked over his hand. "_Well this was unexpected…"_ he thought to himself. Since he already summoned a monster that turn, he could only play Spell and Trap cards. "I'll set this card face-down and end my turn!" Mario announced, and a face-down card appeared in play.

**[Mario: 3450/Piantissimo: 4000]**

_**Piantissimo:**_

"My Monsters are far too well-trained to be put down by something as out-of-shape as your Simmering Stu, Mario!" Piantissimo chuckled, and drew his next card. "I activate the Spell card, Pot of Greed! This lets me draw two more extra cards," he explained, and drew twice. He then pointed to his face-down card that he played earlier. "Now I will activate the Spell card, Eye of Demise! This wonderful card allows me to look at your hand and discard one Spell or Trap card from it!" he explained, and a holographic replica of Mario's current hand appeared in front of Piantissimo. He looked over Mario's hand with great interest, deciding what card to toss. _"Let's see. He has Podoboo, Molten Destruction, and Fire Tornado Level 2…" _Piantissimo thought. "I know! I'll discard your Molten Destruction Spell card!" he said, and pointed to it. Mario had no choice but to discard it.

"_No! That could've given me a field advantage! That card would have increased the Attack Points of any fire monsters on the field by 500, but it would have decreased their Defense Points by 400," _Mario thought. "Fine," he sighed, and put the card in the Graveyard.

"Now back to my Slugger!" Piantissimo exclaimed. "Attack him directly!" he ordered, and Slugger took out a large baseball and tossed it into the air. He hit it when it came back down, and it careened toward Mario. Luigi was watching from the sidelines, and expected Mario to activate some sort of Trap to counter Piantissimo's attack, but it didn't happen. The baseball hit Mario dead on, dealing a direct hit to his Life Points. (Mario: -1000)

"Mario! What are you doing?!" Luigi shouted to his brother.

Mario looked back up at the Duel, and then to Luigi. He smiled and winked. "Don't worry, bro! I've got it taken care of," he replied nonchalantly. Luigi was surprised, but went along with it anyway. "You activated my Trap!" Mario suddenly exclaimed. Piantissimo narrowed his eyes at the plumber, anticipating its effect. The Trap card revealed itself, and Mario explained how it worked. "You activated my Aggression Discrimination Trap when you attacked with Slugger. Let me give you the rundown, Piantissimo. The Monster you attacked with and any of its similarly named duplicates in your deck, hand, and Graveyard cannot attack for the rest of the Duel! Even though your attack continued, it ended up helping me out a bit after all," Mario explained.

"What?! No!" Piantissimo shouted. "I had three Sluggers in my deck, and now you've ruined them!" he exclaimed as a cage materialized around his Slugger. "Good move, but your Life Points still decrease!" he pointed out.

"Yeah, I know. And yours will, too, next turn!" Mario retorted.

"I set a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn!" Piantissimo said as a face down card appeared.

**[Mario: 2450/Piantissimo: 4000]**

_**Mario:**_

"_Piantissimo is much stronger than I expected…" _Mario thought. _"I'll have to bring out my best if I hope to beat him!"_

"Make your move, plumber!" Piantissimo taunted as Mario thought over his strategy.

"All in due time, Piantissimo!" Mario replied as he drew his next card. "First, I'll summon Volcannon {Normal- FIRE/Pyro/LV: 4/ATK: 1600/DEF: 2000} in Attack Mode!" he explained, and he used the card to bring forth an angry-looking miniature-sized volcano which was round in shape and had legs and arms. "Then, I'll play the Spell card, Fire Tornado Level 2!" Mario shouted. He activated the Spell card, and a fiery tornado erupted from the field and spun towards Piantissimo's position.

"What does it do?!" Piantissimo asked, getting a little worried.

"The 'Fire Tornado Level' cards are a special archetype of Spells that have different effects depending on the levels of my fire-attribute monsters," Mario explained. "If I have a fire monster out on my side of the field whose level is equal to or higher than the level on the spell card, then I get to activate its effect! With Fire Tornado Level 2, if I have a fire monster out on the field that is of an equal or higher level to my Spell card, then one of your monsters is automatically destroyed!"

"B-but which one?" Piantissimo asked shakily.

"You'll see…" Mario chuckled, as the Fire Tornado destroyed Piantissimo's face-down defense position monster. As it was destroyed, it was shown briefly, and Mario could see that it was a small, black, starfish-like monster known as Ninji {Effect- DARK/Fiend/LV: 1/ATK: 300/DEF: 200}. He knew that once it was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, it's useful effect would activate.

"Aha!" Piantissimo gloated. "By destroying my Ninji, you allow me to Banish one of your Monsters in your Graveyard!" he explained. Now Mario was wishing that he would have held off until he knew what Piantissimo's face-down card was. "And I choose your Simmering Stu!" he proclaimed. Mario had no choice but to remove Simmering Stu from play. As the Fire Tornado's effect resolved, Mario moved into the Battle Phase.

"Alright, Volcannon! Attack Slugger with 'Heated Hail'!" Mario ordered to his Monster. Volcannon groaned and strained as several, heavy, flaming rocks blasted from its cone, flying high in the air and landing squarely on Piantissimo's trapped Slugger. "And since my Monster's attack is higher than 1500, its attack carries through!" he added, as the rocks exploded- destroying the Slugger in the process. (Piantissimo: -600)

"Woohoo! Go, Bro!" Luigi cheered from the sidelines.

Piantissimo chuckled slyly, and looked at Luigi. "Don't get too excited yet, Luigi!" Piantissimo warned. "This duel's only just begun!" Piantissimo seemed unfazed by the attack, but the Mario Bros. could find it understandable due to his cockiness.

"I end my turn…" Mario announced.

**[Mario: 2450/Piantissimo: 3400]**

_**Piantissimo: **_

"My move!" Piantissimo proclaimed dramatically and drew his next card. He took a look at it, and smiled. "Mario my friend, your end begins here!" he shouted, and summoned a Monster to the field. "I Special Summon Broozer {Effect- DARK/Fiend/LV: 4/ATK: 1500/DEF: 1200} to the field with his effect!" he exclaimed. A ghost-like being in a gray sheet with yellow eyes, a sharp-toothed grin, and red boxing gloves appeared on the field, punching the air in anticipation for combat. "His effect states that if I have no Monsters on my side of the field, I can Special Summon him directly from my hand," Piantissimo explained. "Since he was a Special Summon, I can still summon one more Monster to the field this turn! I tribute Broozer to summon Chargin' Chuck {Effect- EARTH/Warrior/LV: 5/ATK: 2000/DEF: 2200} in attack mode!" As Broozer was sacrificed, a Koopa-like creature dressed in Football pads, a helmet, and armor appeared on his field, gesturing irritably towards Mario. The plumber scowled at the Monster, and looked back at Piantissimo.

"_Dang it!" _thought Mario. _"Now he's got the stronger Monster!"_

"And now, I'll reveal my face-down card! I activate the Spell Card, Premature Burial!" Piantissimo explained. "This card allows me to bring back a Monster from my Graveyard if I pay 800 Life Points! And I choose Broozer!" (Piantissimo: -800) Broozer returned to Piantissimo's side of the field alongside his Chargin' Chuck.

"_Holy cow!" _Luigi thought. _"That was one heck of a move! I hope Mario can outlast Piantissimo's play!"_

"So now you have _two_ Monsters staring you down, Mario!" Piantissimo chuckled. "How does it feel?"

"Like I've been waiting forever…" Mario groaned. "Hurry up and make your move already!" he huffed.

"Fine!" the Pianta impersonator retorted. "I'll give you my best! Chargin' Chuck, attack his Volcannon with 'Tackle Takedown'!" he ordered, and Chargin' Chuck dashed towards Mario's Volcannon, slamming into it. The volcano burst into pieces and leaked huge amounts of steam. (Mario: -400) Mario reeled from the impact, but kept steady as his Life Points depleted. "Next, I'll have my Broozer attack you directly!" Piantissimo added, and Broozer leapt into action. It pulled it's huge fists back, and delivered a double punch onto Mario. (Mario: -1500)

"Mario!" Luigi hollered.

"I'm okay, Luigi!" Mario replied, and looked back at his opponent.

"Lucky for you, I must end my turn there!" Piantissimo taunted.

**[Mario: 550/Piantissimo: 2600]**

_**Mario:**_

"Mario! You have to pull yourself together!" Luigi called from the sidelines. "You're losing the Duel!"

"_I know, Luigi_!" Mario replied. "What? Did you think I was trying to lose?" he added. Luigi just laughed nervously and scratched his head. Mario drew his next card, and looked at it. A smile formed across his face when he looked over the other cards in his hand. He realized that with the right combination of cards, he could pull off a victory. It would have to be flawless, though. "I activate Pot of Greed!" Mario announced, and drew 2 extra cards. He looked over the cards he drew, and an even bigger smile crept across his face. He also realized that Piantissimo hadn't set any Spells or Traps when he ended his turn, so that meant if Mario could get rid of his opponent's Monsters, he would be wide open for a direct attack. "Alright, Piantissimo! Are you ready to feel the burn?" Mario challenged. Piantissimo gulped, and anticipated Mario's next move. "Brace yourself! First, I'll summon Magmaw {Normal- FIRE/Pyro/LV: 4/ATK: 1650/DEF: 200} in attack mode!" he said. A blob of lava materialized on the field, and it rose up while it grew beady, black eyes and a large, goopy mouth.

"Next, I'll activate the Spell card, Double Summon! This allows me to summon a second Monster during my turn! I choose Podoboo {Normal- FIRE/Pyro/LV: 3/ATK: 800/DEF: 700}!" Mario explained. The petite fire spirit appeared on the field. "Then, I'll activate the Spell card known as Magma Flow!" Mario exclaimed. "This card allows me to tribute summon for a Fire-attribute Monster regardless of how many times I have summoned other Monsters as long as all of the Monsters on my side of the field are Fire-attribute!" the plumber explained. Magma began to flow around Mario's Monsters, as he summoned yet another Monster. "I tribute Magmaw and Podoboo in order to summon my most powerful Monster!" he exclaimed. "Come forth, King Kaliente {Normal- FIRE/Pyro/LV: 7/ATK: 2700/DEF: 2400}!" Mario yelled, as the fiery octopus burst from the magma, absorbing Magmaw and Podoboo in the process. "Now, King Kaliente, attack Broozer with 'Incendiary Ink'!" Mario ordered, and King Kaliente shot a hot plume of dark lava at Broozer. It enveloped Piantissimo's Monster, quickly melting it into a pool of boiling lava. (Piantissimo: -1200) The athlete cringed and shrieked as he saw his Monster melt before his very eyes. Premature Burial was also knocked off of the field, as it was equipped to Broozer.

"My turn ends…" Mario added.

**[Mario: 550/Piantissimo: 1400]**

"Oh, what a comeback!" Luigi shouted, more enthusiastically than ever. Mario humbly acknowledged his support, and gave him a smile and a small nod.

_**Piantissimo:**_

Piantissimo grudgingly drew his next card, and sighed. "I switch Chargin' Chuck to Defense mode-," Piantissimo decided, and his Monster changed to a defensive position. "-And then, I activate his effect!" he shouted.

"Wha-?" Mario gasped.

"Here's how it goes, Mario!" Piantissimo began. "While my Chargin' Chuck is in Defense mode, all attacks made by your Monsters are rendered ineffective!" he explained.

"Oh no!" Mario gasped.

"And since you can't attack, I'll have plenty of time to build up my defenses, and eventually summon out bigger Monsters that can crush you!" Piantissimo laughed. "Next, I'll activate the Spell card, Dark Decay!" he added. "This Continuous Spell causes each of your Monsters to lose 200 Attack and Defense points every turn! By the time I'm ready to attack you again, your Monsters will be too weak to deal any sort of damage to me!" he explained. (King Kaliente: -200 ATK/DEF = ATK: 2500/DEF: 2200) "And with that, I think I'll end my turn…" said Piantissimo.

_**Mario:**_

Mario was surely between a rock and a hard place. First off, his monsters couldn't attack Piantissimo whatsoever. Secondly, his monsters would be weakened every turn he couldn't get rid of Dark Decay. "Come on, Mario! You can do this!" Luigi shouted in encouragement. His brother's words of encouragement spurred Mario on against the seemingly impossible odds he was now facing. Mario smiled at his brother, and drew his next card. Mario's face lit up as he saw what card he drew. This got Piantissimo's attention.

"Sorry, Piantissimo…" Mario said rather solemnly. "But this Duel is over-," he began.

"Yes I know, Mario!" Piantissimo retorted.

"-For you!" Mario suddenly shouted.

Piantissimo's eyes shot open, and he glared at Mario. "How could you say that?! That card you just drew couldn't possibly be that good!"

"Oh yes it can…" Mario replied.

"You're bluffing!" Piantissimo shakily replied.

"Oh am I?" Mario asked. "Why don't you find out?" Piantissimo gulped and began to sweat.

"No! You can't penetrate my defenses! Your Monsters can't attack me!" the Pianta impersonator huffed.

"Who said anything about me taking down your defenses with Monsters?" Mario asked slyly. "Behold! The Spell, Fire Tornado Level 5!" he yelled, and activated it. Once again, a fiery tornado sprung up on the field, only this time it was much bigger.

"What does this do?!" Piantissimo asked worriedly.

"It's simple…" Mario replied. "If I have a Level 5 or higher Fire-attribute monster out on my side of the field, then I can destroy one Spell or Trap, and one Monster on the field," the plumber explained. "And guess what? That means you have to say goodbye to your Chargin' Chuck and Dark Decay Spell card!" he announced.

"NOO!" cried Piantissimo. The fiery tornado enveloped his Chargin' Chuck and Dark Decay card, destroying them in a pillar of fire.

"_Aah! So that's Chargin' Chuck's one weakness!"_ Luigi thought. _"It may seem like the perfect defender, but it can't withstand Spells and Traps!"_

"Since your Chargin' Chuck didn't protect against Spells and Traps, you can kiss it goodbye!" Mario taunted.

"NO!" Piantissimo cried again. He knew what would surely follow with Mario's next move.

"Alright, King Kaliente! Since you're free, attack Piantissimo directly!" Mario ordered. The lava-dwelling octopus spewed a large plume of lava directly at Piantissimo, swamping him in magma. Although it didn't really burn him on account of it being a hologram, it might as well have, since he was now scorched with the scars of defeat. (Piantissimo: -2700)

**[Mario: 550/Piantissimo: 0] – WINNER: Mario**

Piantissimo lay on the ground, twitching from the humiliation of defeat. The duel holograms dissipated as Mario and Luigi walked over to the defeated Piantissimo. "That's the game, Piantissimo!" Mario cheerfully said. Piantissimo stopped twitching, and sat up to face Mario.

"Alas, it is true!" Piantissimo lamented. "You have beat me at running, climbing, swimming… and now Dueling!"

Mario scratched his head and extended a hand to Piantissimo. "Well, at least I could say that it was an exceptional Duel!" he encouraged.

"I guess you're right, plumber…" Piantissimo began. "You are an excellent Duelist! I am fortunate to call you my rival!"

"Same to you!" Mario replied in a friendly manner.

"I guess this means that I have even lost Peach to you, Mario!" Piantissimo chuckled.

"I guess so!" Mario laughed. "I'll be sure to show her a great time tonight after all the Dueling is done!"

"You'd better!" Piantissimo replied. "OH!" he suddenly exclaimed. "I almost forgot! I owe you some badges!" He took out his only two badges, and handed them over to Mario, who took them respectfully. "Maybe I shouldn't have wagered all of my badges on our Duel…" Piantissimo laughed sheepishly.

"Hey, I did the same thing!" Mario laughed.

"Peach was just so beautiful!" Piantissimo explained. "I probably just caught up in the spirit of competition…"

"That makes two of us," Mario replied. Piantissimo nodded, and began to walk away.

"I'll see you and your friends some other day…" Piantissimo said. "For now, I have to train even harder so I can beat you the next time we meet. Be it Dueling, swimming, biking, _anything really_!" he added. "Goodbye, Mario Brothers!"

The two brothers waved goodbye. "See you later Piantissimo!" Luigi called.

"And good luck!" Mario added. He looked at the two badges he just earned, and put them next to his own two. "Four badges already!" he said to himself.

"Now all I have to do is earn some badges," Luigi commented. "If I can…" he added with uncertainty.

"Of course you can, Bro!" Mario encouraged him as they walked toward the market. "You just have to believe in yourself and your deck!"

The two continued to talk, as a shadowy, cloaked figure in a mask observed them from the far end of the market. A hostile glint appeared in its eye, and it slipped back into the shadows, plotting the downfall of the Mario Bros. no doubt.

**End of Chapter 4…**

_**CARD PROFILES:**_

_Welcome to a new feature of this story! Card Profiles! Whenever a new card is played, It's stats can be further displayed here! _

**Monsters:**

**Slugger **{Effect- EARTH/Warrior/LV: 3/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1000}

_Effect: This Monster cannot be destroyed in battle by a Monster with less than 1500 Attack points. When an attacking Monster has less than 1500 Attack points, the attack is negated and the Monster is destroyed. Also, half of the destroyed Monster's Attack points is deducted from the controller's Life Points as damage._

**Volcannon **{Normal- FIRE/Pyro/LV: 4/ATK: 1600/DEF: 2000}

**Ninji **{Effect- DARK/Fiend/LV: 1/ATK: 300/DEF: 200}

_Effect: When this Monster is sent to the Graveyard as a result of battle, you may Banish (remove from play) one of your opponent's Monsters in their Graveyard._

**Broozer **{Effect- DARK/Fiend/LV: 4/ATK: 1500/DEF: 1200}

_Effect: If you control no Monsters on your side of the field, you may Special Summon this Monster from your hand._

**Chargin' Chuck **{Effect- EARTH/Warrior/LV: 5/ATK: 2000/DEF: 2200}

_Effect: While this Monster is in Defense Mode, your opponent may not declare an attack on any of the Monsters you control or a direct attack. _

**Magmaw **{Normal- FIRE/Pyro/LV: 4/ATK: 1650/DEF: 200}

**Spells:**

**Eye of Demise **

_[Normal] You may look at your opponent's hand and discard one Spell or Trap card from it. _

**Fire Tornado Level 2**

_[Normal] If you control a Level 2 or higher FIRE Attribute Monster on your side of the field, destroy one of your opponent's Monsters._

**Fire Tornado Level 5**

_[Normal] If you control a Level 5 or higher FIRE Attribute Monster on your side of the field, destroy one of your opponent's Monsters, and one of your opponent's Spell or Trap cards. _

**Dark Decay**

_[Continuous] During each of your opponent's Standby Phases, decrease the Attack and Defense points of each of their Monsters by 200 points. _

**Pot of Greed**

_[Normal] Draw 2 cards._

**Magma Flow**

_[Normal] If you control only FIRE Attribute Monsters on your side of the field, in the same turn this card is activated, you may Tribute Summon 1 additional FIRE Attribute Monster during this turn only- regardless of how many Monsters you have already summoned this turn. _

**Premature Burial**

_[Equip] Pay 800 Life Points, and then target 1 Monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon that target in face-up Attack Position and equip it with this card. When this card is destroyed, destroy the equipped Monster. _

**Traps:**

**Aggression Discrimination**

_[Normal] When one of your opponent's Monsters attacks, activate this card. While this card is on the field, your opponent cannot attack with any Monsters in their deck, hand, Graveyard, or Extra deck with the same name as the attacking Monster for the rest of the Duel. If it is an Effect Monster, negate all of its effects._


End file.
